Juvenile Arthritis

Our daughter’s journey with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) has been a difficult process but one that has taught us many things, including resilience and patience. Olivia was diagnosed at 15 months of age but started showing symptoms around 10 months. She first presented with symptoms of neck stiffness, fatigue and…

The First Signs November 30th, 2016, Rylee Lynn Rideout arrived making us parents for the first time and becoming the first grandchild and niece in our families. The years that followed were nothing short of amazing, Rylee developed a love for life and a sparkle that we quickly knew would…

The Early Signs Simon’s journey began when he was around 10; he has always been an active, strong-willed child. He never complained when falling or having some scratches for his rough, playful adventures, but he wasn’t happy with our long walks. As a family, we love hiking, which seemed to…

As a parent/caregiver, you envision your children growing up happy and healthy, enjoying life to the fullest. However, life tends to chuckle at our best laid plans, and that was the case with our middle daughter, Rosalie, who was diagnosed with Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at the age of 6…

Harley is our tiny warrior. Just after turning 2, in August 2022, Harley started having difficulty walking one day out of nowhere. It pained her to tears and she had to hold onto someone to walk or be carried. She was on Amoxicillin for an ear infection, and had also…

Parenting a teen can be tricky. Parenting a teen with a painful rheumatic disease like Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis can be heartbreaking. But it can also be incredibly inspiring, as you’ll learn from Roam’s mom, Jana. She was reminded of her son’s strength and resilience during our Team Cassie + Friends…

Hello, my name is Queena, and I was diagnosed with Lupus and Juvenile Arthritis in 2021. During this time, it was hard to ask for help. For the most part my “illness” – or whatever was causing my swollen joints and excruciating pain – was invisible. It wasn’t until later…

Harley is our tiny warrior. Just after turning 2, in August 2022, Harley started having difficulty walking one day out of nowhere. It pained her to tears and she had to hold onto someone to walk or be carried. She was on Amoxicillin for an ear infection, and had also…

Hi! My name is Hayley. I was diagnosed with JIA at the age of 13. Around age 12 I realized that I could not straighten my fingers. Young me was very medically inclined, so after some googling, I diagnosed myself with arthritis. It took a long time to convince the…

Hello there! My name is Emily Bessey. I am 19 years old and live in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. My journey with JIA and TMJ started way back in 2009 when I was just 6 years old. I would go to school limping, hardly able to walk, but return home…

Hello,  My name is Emma Linsley, and I am from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with JIA. Along with needing to learn to manage the physical ailments of the disease, this diagnosis brought with it a complex set of other challenges that my support…

6.5 million people are affected by arthritis in Canada and about 24,000 of them are children. Cassie + Friends is just for them. Kids like Audrey (pictured right) – diagnosed at just 18 months – need our help to make sure their health and futures are a priority, even beyond…